October 20–21 2022 | Orionid Meteor Shower
The Orionid shower showcases up to 20 meteors in an hour. The dust grains are left behind by comet Halley, which has been observed since ancient years. Although its peak is October 20th to 21st, the shower runs annually from October 2nd to November 7th. The moon will be thin, giving off little light for the show, which is best viewed after midnight.
November 4 & 5| Taurids Meteor Shower
The Taurids meteor shower produces about 5-10 an hour. One stream of the shower is dust left by Asteroid 2004 TG10, and the second is debris from Comet 2P Encke. This meteor shower occurs each year from September 7th to December 10th, peaking on the night of November 4th. Due to this year’s full moon, you can see a few good ones just after midnight far away from any cities.
November 17 & 18| Leonids Meteor Shower
The Leonids shower produces up to 15 meteors per hour at its peak. This unique shower has a cycle of 33 years where a peak producing hundreds of meteors in an hour will occur. Although the last one occurred in 2001, this annual shower is from November 6th to 30th, peaking on the 17th. The fainter meteors will not be able to be seen due to the moonlight, but there is potential for a good show after midnight anywhere in the sky.
December 8| Mars at Opposition
The 4th planet will be closest to Earth on December 8th and fully illuminated by the sun. It will be visible all night long and brighter than any other time of the year. A medium sized telescope will be the best way to see details of the planet’s surface.
December 13 & 14 2022| Geminid Meteor Shower
The Geminids is considered the best shower producing many meteors that are also multicolored. At its peak, you can see 120 multicolored meteors per hour. The dust is produced from Asteroid 3200 Phaethon, discovered in 1982. The shower annually occurs from December 7th to 17th and peaks on the night of the 13th and morning of the 14th. The Geminids are bright and large so the waning gibbous moon will not block the entire shower, but the best viewing is after midnight.
December 21| Mercury at Greatest Eastern Elongation.
The closest planet to the sun will reach an eastern elongation of 20.1 degrees from the Sun, putting it at the highest point above the horizon in the evening. Look for the planet in the western sky after sunset.
December 22 & 23 2022| Ursid Meteor Shower
The Ursidis is a smaller meteor shower showcasing roughly 5-10 meteors per hour. Its dust grains are left by the comet Tuttle, discovered in 1790. The shower occurs annually from December 17th to 25th. It peaks on the night of the 21st and morning of the 22nd. This year the shower occurs under a new moon, making the night darker for a good show.
January 3 & 4 2023| Quadrantids Meteor Shower
At its peak on the night of the third, this meteor shower can show 40 meteors in one hour. Meteors have been left by comet 2003 EH1, discovered in 2003. The shower peaks on the night of the 3rd but runs from the 1st to the 5th. The best viewing is after midnight and is best seen far from light pollution.
January 30 2023| Mercury at Greatest Western Elongation
The first planet reaches western elongation at 25 degrees from the sun. The best time to view mercury is right before sunrise, it will be at its highest point adobe the horizon in the eastern sky.
